Is a full Symphony Orchestra the 'best' ensemble?

[Jess Haney]

Every type of ensemble provides a valuble and educational experience. If the student is in college it is a great idea to emerse yourself in as many different playing situations as possible. Orchestra is a traditional ensemble that many players can be hired for out of college and therefor provides the bulk of the "tuba" jobs in this country. But to rule out wind ensemble, brass bands, quartets, ect, would be a major mistake in one's learning as a tubist. I have played in so many different types of ensembles for tuba I would be writing a novel to list all of the experiences. Each ensemble provides a new fascet to what your (tuba's) job is and how you fit into the ensemble. Orchestra is exposed yes, but so is quintet, the bass part in dixie group, or tuba quartet. If you want to learn how to gain more independance as a player, any ensemble that leaves you the only chair will help you gain confidence. Wind ensembles, british brass bands and concert bands often have more than one player and now you must work together to get the ideal sound. Is it any less challenging......NO. For example: high caliber brass band music often has the two parts (Eb and Bb) split into 4 separate parts at times with the solo Eb on the top note and Low Bb with tons of pedal notes often a wide range apart. There are also 2 parts in the middle and they also must be on their game. Dixie and doubling the bass part in jazz combos allows you a whole new door of music entirely with jazz and swing. So to answer your question, if you want to be a great tubist play in EVERYTHING... just my 2 cents.

[tbn.al]

Orchestra is a traditional ensemble that many players can be hired for out of college and therefor provides the bulk of the "tuba" jobs in this country.

Hmmmmmm. Don't know about that. I would expect there are more full time band jobs than orchestra. Of course you have to join the military to get one.

[Chuck Jackson]

ANY ensemble is good for kids if the person IN FRONT understands that their primary reason for being there IS THE EDUCATION OF THE KIDS IN FRONT OF THEM AND TRYING NOT TO LOOK GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND HIM. That being said a dynamic educator who is also a dynamic musician will make ANY ensemble worthwhile for anyone in their formative years, and I daresay well into their college years.

Chuck"who strives to fulfill these requirements on a daily basis"Jackson

[imperialbari]

One thing speaking for the orchestra as educative ensemble is the repertory. Better music by better composers.

Brass instruments, other than horns, have less playing time and more rest counting in the orchestra, but what they do takes more responsibility and quality, because you can’t hide yourself among strings and WW.

On the other hand playing with two important sections unmanned is no better than doing adequate adjustments to the instrumentation, also called arranging. I have done lots of such instrumentation adjustments to make music playable, but the sample I will mention are not from my own toolbox, but something others have done.

Rewriting the viola part for a section of 3rd violins.

I think it was Honegger who in one score replaced the violas with an alto saxophone. Clarinets may be even better and these winds have ranges quite congruent with that of the viola.

Even top range orchestras supported their double basses with a tuba when recording techniques were young. Selectively rewriting the double bass part for a section of bass and contrabass tuba, may add dimensions of depth to the student orchestra.

Klaus

[we3kings]

Even top range orchestras supported their double basses with a tuba when recording techniques were young. Selectively rewriting the double bass part for a section of bass and contrabass tuba, may add dimensions of depth to the student orchestra.

Klaus

I would it does. Performing the string bass/contra-bassoon for Beethoven 5 was an interesting experience for me. Playing in the sectionals of the string basses and bassoons provided a different way to look at the music.

[peter birch]

I think the full symphony orchestra is the best ensemble - if you want to play in a symphony orchestra. I suspect that there are a number of issues with musical education in our country,
the orchestra has a perceived higher status than any other ensemble, described as the flagship group, with other ensembles feeding into it. Now it is is true that there is not time to do everything at school, so playing in a string ensemble, or a wind or brass band or ensembles and the orchestra might well be too much and compromise other areas of their education.
There is also an issue with the less glamorous instruments mentioned, particularly violas and basses, it applies to brass as well, but until we can be convinced that viola players are not failed violinists, and bass is not the answer to failing on the cello (the same argument applies to brass as well,( it took me years to get over being told to play the tuba because I would be no good on a euphonium) we may well continue to have a shortage of these players, now it could be that these bigger instruments need physical and musical maturity to play, that has not yet developed in school students.
As an adult, I see that there is no greater expression of life long learning than being a musician, and so i play in a brass band (40 or so players), a brass quintet and an orchestra when they need the heavy brass, this works for me, but still i can't always do everything, and yes in each ensemble we play a mixture of original and arranged music of several genres, and gain from all of it.
Our education system is experiencing tough times, some do not see the relevance of music in the national curriculum, and certainly performance time is suffering, and also there is now a pressure on selection at a very young age that effectively excludes many youngsters who might go on to become good amateur instrumentalists